Lawsuits Say Protein Powders Lack Protein, Ripping Off Athletes

Utah, are you getting what you pay for? By now you may be aware of the class action lawsuit spotlighted in Forbes magazine due to “amino acid spiking” in many big name proteins. Make sure you know what you are spending your precious money on because the protein might not be that precious. Here is […]

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Utah, are you getting what you pay for? By now you may be aware of the class action lawsuit spotlighted in Forbes magazine due to “amino acid spiking” in many big name proteins. Make sure you know what you are spending your precious money on because the protein might not be that precious. Here is an insert from the article. “But third-party tests, attached to some of the lawsuits, show some companies also fill the tubs with far cheaper free form amino acids like glycine, taurine or leucine as well as other substances like creatine monohydrate, and then portray them as grams of protein on the products’ labels. Certain amino acids are considered the building blocks to protein but they are not protein by themselves, nor do they have the same benefits as complete proteins.

These filler substances can cost less than $1 per pound, allowing companies to undercut competition with lower prices and dupe price-sensitive customers in the process.

The lab tests commissioned by Suciu’s firm and others show the breakdown of what’s really inside some of these supplements. Companies whose products were tested and subsequently sued include but are not limited to: Giant Sports, MusclePharm, CVS Health, 4 Dimension Nutrition, NBTY and Inner Armour.

For instance, test results showed “Giant Delicious Protein Blend” made by privately held Giant Sports contains only 12 grams of the 27 grams of “High Quality Protein” it advertises, only 44% of the stated amount. Instead, the powdered blend is loaded with leucine, isoleucine, valine, glycine, betaine, taurine and creatine monohydrate. Moreover, glycine is not included on the label nor the ingredient list, which would make it a misbranded product and illegal to sell according to Food and Drug Administration rules. None of these substances is harmful — creatine monohydrate on its own is perhaps the most popular workout supplement behind protein — but neither are they what customers are paying for.”

For more info, make sure to check out the Forbes article here: http://www.forbes.com/sites/alexmorrell/2015/03/12/lawsuits-say-protein-powders-lack-protein-ripping-off-athletes/#1b06f75c1039